A wild Japanese Giant Salamander in Hyogo Prefecture - Photo by Kyle Wullschleger

The River Dragon is a documentary exploring the lives of giant salamanders and the passionate people who are working to conserve these vanishing giants. With a fossil record dating back over 160million years, Giant Salamanders are represented by three species living in China, Japan and the Eastern United States.

This film will follow the lives of researchers on opposite sides of the globe and dissect the effects of culture on the future of these living fossils. Despite their sensitivity to environmental factors, these enormous amphibians have survived multiple mass extinctions, and their future speaks to our own.